HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



159 



the death' of lieutenant general 

 Sraidt, an officer of great repute, 

 in the Austrian service, who acted 

 as quarter muiter general io the 

 Russian army. G'encral Sniidt 

 possessed the confidence of the arch- 

 duke Charles to an eminent de- 

 gree. ^ 



After this erent, the Russians 

 judged it adviseable to fall back 

 upon Brunn, where they expedled 

 reinforcements under general Bux- 

 hovden. 



The French army advanced so 

 rapidly into Moravia, that the im- 

 perial court.from motives ofprecau- 

 tion, removed from Bruan to 01- 

 mutz. Previously to his quitting 

 Bruan, the emperor issued a proclama- 

 tion (on 1 3th) in which hecommuiii- 

 cated his late proposal for an armis- 

 tice, together with the inadmissible 

 demands of the French eoiperor. 

 That, under such circumstances, no- 

 thing remained for liim to do, b'.it 

 to trust to resources to be found 

 in the fidelity and stren^rth of his 

 people, united to the undiminished 

 forces of his high allies, the em- 

 peror of Russia and the king of 

 Prussia, and to persist in this deter- 

 miaati'/n, until the French emperor 

 should consent to conditions of 

 peace, consistent with the honour 

 and independence of a great state. 



On the evciiin?; of the 14th, mar- 

 shal Lannes reached Stokeran, and 

 found there an immense quantity of 

 clothing. Eight thousand pairs of 

 shoes and half boots, and cloth suf- 

 ficient to make great coats for the 

 whole army. General Milhaud, 

 who commanded the advanced 

 guard of marshal Davoust's corps, 

 captured, about the same time, many 

 pieces of artillery, with their am- 

 Diunition, together with -100 men. 

 Almost the whole of thc^Austrian 



artillery was now in possession o^ 

 the enemy. 



By this time Bernadotte who 

 had made a circuit to the right of 

 tue French army by Salfzbiirg and 

 the confines of Hungary, passed the 

 Danube to join the main army. 



On the 15th, iVlurat and Lasnes 

 came up with the Russian army at 

 Holbruiin. The French cavalry 

 charged the enemy, who abandoned 

 their ground, leaving some of their 

 baggage behind. The Russian ge- 

 neral finding himself hard pressed, 

 and desirous to gain a liUle time, 

 had recourse to a device, in wliich ha 

 was authorised by the stratagem 

 used by the French in passing the 

 bridge at Vienna. A ilag of truce 

 presented himself at the French ad- 

 vanced posts, and the baron Win- 

 S'n;erode, aid de camp to the em- 

 peror of Russia, demanded leave for 

 the Russian army to ca[)itulate, and 

 separate from the Austrians. This' 

 ajipeared too specious not tj be lis» 

 tened to, and Muri^t, who was him- 

 self the author of the above.-raen- 

 tioned deception, eommunicated the 

 information to Uouaparte. It soon 

 became suspected, and Bonaparte 

 refused to agree to ihe proposed 

 terms, on the grounds that the Rus- 

 sian was not duly authorised to 

 treat, but he declared that if the em- 

 peror of Russia would ratify the 

 convention, he would likewise (io it. 

 Hereupon the French army ad- 

 vanced. 



The Russians, during this parley, 

 were making their preparations to 

 retreat, and had made some progress 

 in it, when they were attacked, the 

 next day, near Guntcrsdorlf. The 

 Russians behaved with great bra- 

 very, and repulsed the enemy at the 

 point of the bayonet. .Marshal 

 l.asnnes attacked ihemiu front, ge- 

 neral 



